Beverage manufacturing plants, including carbonated filling plants for producing carbonated beverages, consume large quantities of carbon dioxide, electric power, water, heat, and other resources, in the operation of the plant and in the production of such beverages. Carbon dioxide, normally liquid carbon dioxide, is used to carbonate the beverages. Large quantities of carbon dioxide are required in a carbonated beverage producing plant. Electric power is used to power many processes involved in filling beverages including powering electric motors and providing cooling and heating. Heat in the form of steam or hot water, or both, is used in carbonated beverage production for processes such as dissolving sweetener and washing bottles. Clean water forms part of the carbonated beverage itself. Beverages are also cooled by cold water during the manufacturing process.
In industrially developed countries, the above-described products for supporting a carbonated beverage filling plant can often be secured from outside sources and in sufficient quantities to meet carbonated beverage production requirements. However, large quantities of carbon dioxide are still needed and existing systems and sources of the forms of energy are costly and often produced by inefficient systems. In developing nations and even in remote areas of industrially developed countries, the above-described products necessary to support a carbonated beverage filling plant are not readily available from reliable sources or at suitable prices. Reliable sources of electric power and liquid carbon dioxide are particularly difficult to find in many developing countries and remote regions of developed nations. Further, various equipment and energy for producing electric power, liquid carbon dioxide, heat, cooling, and other products for use in a beverage filling plant are not readily available in developing countries.
Moreover, traditional beverage production and filling plants take large amounts of materials to build the manufacturing systems. Accordingly, in developing countries, other remote areas, and even in industrial nations, there is a need to produce electric power, liquid carbon dioxide, and other energy and products necessary for filling carbonated and non-carbonated beverages of various types at the site of the bottling plant. Therefore, there is a need for an energy efficient system for on-site production of energy and other products used in a carbonated beverage filling system. There also exists a need for a cogeneration system for a beverage manufacturing plant which can be built in a variety of locations. In addition, there is a need for beverage manufacturing plants which can be more quickly and inexpensively constructed and brought into production.